Tag Archives: Doolhof

Restaurant News: Chef Reuben Riffel cooks up a Cape Town storm in the USA!

Chef Reuben Riffel’s connection with the One&Only Cape Town is putting him, and Cape Town with it, on the world map, and he recently returned from a whirlwind tour of New York, with the compliments of SAA and the One&Only Hotel group. 

He stepped off the aircraft with his Reuben’s Franschhoek chef William Carolissen, and was whisked off to the studios of the Martha Stewart Show  immediately.  Despite her poor performance at the Design Indaba a year ago, Stewart remains an icon of American domesticity, and her show is watched by an audience of about 80000.  Chef Reuben had to prepare South African dishes in front of the camera and studio audience, and had pre-organised which ingredients he would require for it.  He had a time limit of 4 minutes to create Cape Malay pickled fish, and a grilled peri peri beef salad.  The Reuben’s slot ran for 15 minutes and had shots of the One&Only Cape Town too, with Stewart endorsing the hotel by stating that it is her favourite resort in South Africa.  The show will be broadcast on 9 March. 

He was also invited to appear on NBC’s Today Show, with a viewership of 3,3 million on the day of broadcast. Chef Reuben cooked with Today Show personalities Al Roker and Natalie Moralis, and here too he had to prepare two dishes (crisp prawn dumplings with rooibos tea salt, and pan roasted red snapper prepared in a West Coast basting sauce of apricot jam, garlic and soya, served with a salsa of tomato, cucumber, chilli and cilantro) in front of the audience.  

Reuben is no stranger to cooking in front of a camera, making more and more TV appearances, on Pasella in particular, so this stood him in good stead to do our city and country proud.  Chef Reuben said the American TV staff are well organised.   Chef Reuben also prepared food for an One&Only Hotel event for travel agents and tour operators, as well as one for the media (journalists represented the New York Times Style Magazine, Travel+Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, New York Post and Travel Africa.)    

Meeting Chef Reuben and his wife Maryke at Reuben’s at the One & Only Cape Town last week was an opportunity to catch up, and to check whether he is still connected to his restaurant in Cape Town, given my observations after my last visit.  He laughed when we chatted about how incorrect deductions can be made from bits of staff information one receives, and it showed him how important it is for him to communicate with all levels of staff.  Talking of staff, a number of changes have taken place since Reuben’s opened in Cape Town in October:   The Manager Samantha Housden has left, after only a short stint, and has been replaced by Kagiso Mmebe.  In the kitchen Maritz Jacobs has been joined by Aviv Liebenberg, previously at Reuben’s Robertson, and Chef Reuben is encouraging them to visit the Old Biscuit Mill market on Saturdays, so that they can stay in touch with interesting food suppliers, and they come back with fresh products for a new special “Market Day” menu on Saturdays. Reuben’s staff will ‘cross-pollinate’ between Cape Town and Franschhoek, so that they get to experience the other branch.   Camil Haas, who was meant to shadow Chef Reuben in Franschhoek and Cape Town, will be more behind the scenes now, and will manage Chef Reuben’s appearances, and the requirements linked to these, as well as the preparation for outside events. 

Chef Reuben explained why the current menu does not have the chefs’ names on it, and why the Reuben’s branding is so low key, in that the hotel had printed it at a time when the regular Reuben’s printer was closed over the festive season.  The new menu to be launched on 16 February will go back to its “Reuben’s” look, and its content will have a stronger Cape Town focus, with a new dessert for example called ‘Taste of Cape Town’, with small tastes of Hertzoggies, date slices, melktert, rooibos tea ice cream and a coconut koeksister.   In Franschhoek a menu change can be expected at the end of the month, but will have a different focus to the Cape Town one.   A Sunday buffet lunch will be introduced in Cape Town on 27 February, costing R 195.  The Reuben’s Cape Town menu indicates which dishes contain alcohol (for Sol Kerzner, who does not drink alcohol, and for Muslim guests), shellfish, nuts, and pork.

We spoke about the winelist, which I see as overpowering, and not really suiting a Bistro-style restaurant.  Chef Reuben said that Singita is buying up a portion of the wine collection, and he said that they may develop a reduced winelist for Reuben’s.  The One&Only Hotel has influenced the operation of Reuben’s in Cape Town, and has meant more paperwork and adherence to systems, but there are benefits too, such as the international marketing that the hotel group does.  Chef Reuben emphasised that Kerzner does not interfere with his operation of the restaurant. In fact, there is a good relationship between the hotel and the restaurant management, and they meet regularly to address common issues.  Reuben is featured in the international One&Only Hotel newsletter, which was sent out earlier this week.

The decor is evolving, and new multi-coloured glass menu boards have been erected on the columns of the restaurant, to advertise specials.  When I visited last week, a West Coast seafood special was advertised, consisting of a number of dishes.  The boards help the Cape Town branch make spontaneous additions to the menu, without having to reprint it, a greater logistical challenge here than in Franschhoek, Chef Reuben explained. 

A new cookbook is in the pipeline, and will focus on seasons.   It will allow Chef Reuben to continue with the format of his first recipe book, and to reminisce about his childhood in Franschhoek, and his mother’s influence on his cooking.   Richard Carstens is highly praised by Chef Reuben, and he says that Richard “is one of the best” and that “no one can touch him”.

Chef Reuben says there are definitely no further restaurant openings on his agenda, and he is learning to delegate more, to enjoy a more balanced personal and business life.  I left him and Maryke with the feeling that they will make the best of their new relationship with the One&Only Hotel, and that there will be no repeat of Gordon Ramsay’s distant relationship with the ex-maze, the previous restaurant at the One&Only Cape Town, and the resultant demise.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Review: Grand Dédale Country House is grand and relaxing!

For a mid-season break, I chose to spend a weekend at Grand Dédale Country House, on the Doolhof wine estate on the Bovlei Road in Wellington, about ten days ago.  I could not have chosen a more relaxing and grander place than this 5-star hotel and its excellent restaurant, which is on the Wellington Wine Route. 

Doolhof is part of a farm that was awarded to the first owner in 1709, and means ‘labyrinth’ in Afrikaans.  It probably was given this name because it was at the end of a cul de sac.  The current owners Dorothy and Dennis Kerrison bought the farm from the neighbouring Retief family.   The homestead was renovated by Mrs Kerrison, who is an interior designer in the United Kingdom, and her initial R7 million budget had doubled at the end of the project.   Money does not appear to be an object in the tasteful design of the very spacious rooms, and almost every detail has been thought of.   Angelo and Tina Casu rent the 6-bedroom homestead and cottage from the owners, having signed an eight year lease, and have called their establishment Grand Dédale, which means ‘large labyrinth’ in French.  The Casus have managed Grand Dédale for the past 17 months, and previously were with the Winchester Mansions in Sea Point and Palmiet Valley in Paarl. 

The house is an old Cape Dutch house, with new additions cleverly married into the Cape Dutch origin of the house.  Some aspects, notably the staircase to the upstairs loft rooms, are extremely modern. The high gloss marble tiles in the public rooms on the ground level have been criticised by some as not being suitable for a Cape Dutch house, but I felt that they looked perfectly clean and chic.  The star attraction for me was the 15 meter salt water pool.  Parking is away from the homestead, at the winery, a benefit in not seeing any cars, but a disadvantage in not being able to keep an eye on one’s vehicle.   The bedroom I stayed in had three sections, a very spacious bedroom, although a slanting ceiling does create space limitations too, with a more than king size bed, and excellent quality linen.   A second section has a basin, the safe and the hanging space.  The bathroom is in the third section, has a bath with shower over it, and a collection of Charlotte Rhys products.  The high gloss tiles are a bit scary to walk on with wet feet, but a very generously sized bathmat is made available.  Airconditioning is a great advantage to cool things down in the renowned Wellington heat.   There are more than enough towels provided, hung on two heated towel rails.  Towels are refreshed continuously.   A fruit platter is in the room, and there is a turn-down treat every night (tasted like fudge).  An iPod player is next to the bed, and one can request iPods to listen to.  

From the terrace and pool area one looks onto the side of Groenberg, and below is the most lucious looking field, on which cows graze.  Angelo laughed when he told me that they are the eco-friendly “lawnmowers” at Doolhof.  A paddock with ex-racehorses is adjacent to the field.

The Room Directory is one of the most comprehensive and best presented that I have seen, bound in a neat brown leather cover, and detailing information about the wine estate (380 ha, Kromme River runs through it, located between Groenberg, Limietberg and Sneeukop), suggestions for day trips, a description of the public areas in the house, the location of the TV lounge in the upstairs loft (there is no TV in the bedrooms, strange for 5-star), and the location of the Spa Room (which I had read about, but was not proactively informed about), the Breakfast serving time, that light lunch and snacks are available, that a complimentary high tea is served in the afternoons (a combination of cake, fresh fruit and a savoury item), and the invitation to enjoy canapes and a glass of Pierre Jourdan sparkling wine before dinner with the other guests (quite colonial in its nature, but a good way to meet the other guests, as one is separated when dining).  Three bar fridges stock beverages in various sections of the guest house, and are complimentary to guests.  The bar fridges are a great idea, as mini bar fridges in rooms are noisy.  The Doolhof winetasting is complimentary to the guests of Grand Dédale.

Breakfast is served on the terrace, and is a generous buffet of different cereals (I loved the Chef’s mix of crunchy and healthy muesli ingredients), fresh fruit as well as a fruit salad (one morning I was intrigued to see a bowl with an unknown white fruit, which was made by the Chef from the inside peel of a watermelon) and different yoghurt flavours.   Cold breakfast treats are offered, and on one of the mornings it was salmon and créme fraîche served on rosti.  Cold meats and cheeses are available, as are home-made jams and breads.  A treat was that John organised frothy cappucinos for me each morning, and kept the ice water supply coming.  A beautiful vase with a rose and a bougainvillea was on each table.   At breakfast one is shown the dinner menu for that day, and one can say if one does not eat a particular ingredient.   I saw the menu changed for one dinner due to my couscous feedback, which reflects great flexibility.  There are no choices on the menu, and therefore the kitchen checks proactively on its guests’ tastes.

Dinner is served on the terrace, with the most wonderful view onto the greenery below.  John and Angelo are in attendance.   Canapés are served with the glass of bubbly.   Heila Basson is the Chef, and Angelo calls her a ‘boeremeisie’.   She previously worked at Grootbos and at Seasons at Diemersfontein.  She has been at the Taj, to train in their kitchen, and will soon join Luke Dale-Roberts at The Test Kitchen for a short session, before he comes to Grand Dédale to cater for a wedding with Chef Heila on the wine estate.  The table is beautifully set, with a silver underplate, professional folding of the serviette, and three sets of Italian Pinti cutlery, to prevent any stretching across clients.   The butterdish and salt and pepper containers are all in silver, making the woven bread basket out of place. However, its content was wonderful, being bread rolls with different toppings.  I love poppy seed rolls, and was amazed to find these in Wellington, of all places!   An amuse bouche is served, prior to the three course meal.  On the first night it was a spicy bobotie, served with mango chutney.  The bobotie was unusual, made from diced rather than minced meat, and with an unusual taste, colourfully presented.   The starter was a beef sirloin carpaccio served with feta crumble and a sesame dressing, adding a sweet taste.    The main course was Norwegian salmon served with sweet and sour balsamic beetroot, mash, a vodka créme fraîche sauce, and roasted pumpkin seeds, creating a good colour contrast on the plate.  I found the pumpkin seeds too hard relative to the soft textures of all the other ingredients.  Dessert was a nougat terrine with berries, moreish, and chewy in texture.  On the second day the amuse bouche was a courgette and brie cappuccino, served in a little coffee cup, an unusual combination and very tasty.  The oregano potato gnocchi starter served with a wild mushroom and gruyere sauce was absolutely delicious, but did not have any contrast in colour.  We were spoilt with a second starter when we discussed mozzarella, and Angelo proudly allowed all the dinner guests a taste of Wellington’s Buffalo Ridge mozzarella, in the form of a small Caprese salad.   The main course was lamb rump, served a little too rare and with too much fat.   The dessert was a pineapple tarte tatin served with homemade milktart ice cream, an unusual combination, but was delicious.   Dinner costs R335, for a three course meal, but includes an amuse bouche and a cheese platter as well, actually making it a generous 5-course meal.   One must book to eat dinner at Grand Dédale if one is not staying over.

The winelist offers Pierre Jourdan for R170 as a Cap Classique, and Champagnes offered are Dom Grossard and Brugnon Brut.   Wine by the glass is from Doolhof and costs R40, but is not mentioned on the winelist.   It is poured at the table from a bottle (I ordered a glass of Doolhof Shiraz 2007) in a silver basket.   The Doolhof wines are good value: Unoaked Chardonnay R 90; Oaked Chardonnay R 154; Cape Robin Rosé R 63; Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon R116.  In the Legends of Labyrinth range, Dark Lady pinotage and Lady in Red each cost R117 and The Minotaur R250.  Wellington wines offered are Nabygelegen’s Lady Anna (R120), its Chenin Blanc (R130) and Snow Mountain Pinot Noir (R235).  Diemersfontein Carpe Diem Viognier and Chenin Blanc cost R190.  Each wine is described, and the vintage specified. 

There is little to suggest to improve at Grand Dédale: a desk lamp on the desk/make-up area; training staff to not move one’s belongings from a chair or a bed (this is a common problem in accommodation establishments and is an irritation); allowing one to park outside the house; any means of improving cellphone reception would be very welcome, and the limited reception should be mentioned in correspondence (I am on 24/7 duty for my business, even when away for a weekend, and I had not made arrangements to divert the company phone line to a colleague’s cellphone, until I arrived and realised the impact of the reception problem on my business); addressing the blocking of outgoing e-mails by the server (incoming e-mails arrived safely), which problem was solved by downloading e-mails at The Stone Kitchen/Dunstone winery, which has a free wireless service which works easily and perfectly, but is only open until 16h00; a TV in each room; instructions on how to switch off the lights in the various sections of the bedroom; a blind for the bathroom window, so that one is not woken up by the light coming through in the morning; a warning to guests that there is 4 km of dirt road, the first part being very bumpy, and therefore not suitable to drive for all motor vehicles.   What I did request while I was there was attended to immediately by Angelo.

It is not inexpensive to stay at Grand Dédale Country House, but I was lucky to benefit from a hospitality discount.  The accommodation cost includes a full breakfast, all drinks from the guest bars, a small high tea, canapés before dinner and a glass of Pierre Jourdan.    If one stays for two nights, dinner is free of charge on one of the two nights, as is a bottle of Doolhof wine.  One has little choice to eat out in Wellington, so one is almost ‘forced’ to eat there, but it is an absolute pleasure to do so, to not have to drive on the gravel road, or to drive all the way to Diemersfontein, or even to Paarl, to find a relatively acceptable restaurant.   If I can manage to leave the laptop and cellphone at home, I would be back for a next visit, to have a proper break! 

Grand Dédale Country House, Doolhof Wine Estate, Bovlei Road, Wellington.   Tel (021) 873-4089.  www.granddedale.com

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleCottage: www.whalecottage.com   Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Wellington Wine Route: friendly wine estates

I spent the past weekend in my old hometown Wellington, and stayed at Grand Dédale Country House  on the Doolhof wine estate, at the end of the Bovlei Road.   Angelo of Grand Dédale had set up some appointments to visit the private wine estates (Nabygelegen and Klein Optenhorst).  My wine estate visits were concentrated on the Bovlei Road (4 km of it is untarred, which rattled me and the car when I first arrived, but two days later it was no longer an issue), and my impression of this first taste of the fine Wellington wineries is one of overwhelming friendliness and good neighbourliness.  I did not manage to visit all the wine estates in Wellington, and Welvanpas, Bosman Family Vineyards, Andreas, the Jorgensen Distillery (not a wine estate but producing very exciting spirits), and others will have to wait for a next visit:

Doolhof

The 380 ha wine estate lies at the end of the Bovlei Road, and while its name means labyrinth in Afrikaans, a cul de sac was also given this name.  Doolhof belongs to Dorothy and Dennis Kerrison.  Its soils are “finer, more balanced and deeper than in the surrounding countryside, with clay content evenly distributed”.  The roots are able to grow to four meters and beyond, the Room Directory informs Grand Dédale guests.   The location of the farm allows it to have cooler summers and warmer winters than the norm in Wellington.  Less than 10 % of the farm is under vine.  Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, Pinotage and Shiraz are grown.  The remainder of the farmland is uncultivated, and consists largely of fynbos.  The Biodiversity and Wine Initiative is supported by Doolhof, and a programme is in place to remove alien Black Wattles, and to plant indigenous wetland plants and trees.  The cellar was started in 2004, and the tasting room once was the stables on the farm.   Its architecture and interior decor reflects that of Grand Dédale Country House on the wine estate, but is less extravagant.  The Doolhof hostess used the word “elegant” to describe it perfectly.  One can sit inside the spacious airconditioned tasting room, or outside at a water feature.   One can order food as well, I was told, and an arrangement with Grand Dédale Country House to provide this service has ended, with a dedicated chef starting next week, to prepare meals for the Doolhof tasting room visitors.  

There are three Doolhof wine ranges, and their labels are equally elegant:

*   the Cape range is the entry level range, and its wines are a blend of own grapes as well as those of other estates.  Sauvignon Blanc, Cape Robin Rosé, Cape Boar (Merlot-based blend) and Cape Roan blend with Shiraz.  The price ranges from R 33 – R49.

*   the Signatures of Doolhof range is made from Doolhof grapes only, and Sauvignon Blanc (R54), Chardonnay Unwooded (R54), Chardonnay Barrel Fermented (R92), Cabernet Sauvignon (R70), Shiraz (R70), Pinotage (R86), Petit Verdot R124), Renaissance blend (R80), Merlot (R81) and Malbec (R124) is produced.  

*   the Legends of the Labyrinth range has three wines: The Minotaur is the most expensive wine sold at Doolhof, at R150, and is a blend of six grapes: Merlot, Malbec,  Petit Verdot, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz;  Lady in Red is a Bordeaux-style blend (R70); and Dark Lady is a Pinotage with chocolate and mocha aromas (R70). 

The Doolhof Tasting Room staff are smartly dressed, in blue shirts with Doolhof branding.  Natasha was a self-confident and knowledgeable hostess, and made photocopies of more detailed notes on each wine, in colour, and for each wine a suitable food pairing suggestion is provided.  A stem tag identifies the wine one is tasting, a professional touch.  The brochure is attractive and professional looking.   One can join the ‘Denizens of Doolhof Wine Club’, a rather unfortunate name!  The wine estate is largely bottling with cork, but is planning to move more towards screwcaps in future.

It seems a shame that Grand Dédale and Doolhof do not interact more, by displaying each others brochures.  The Grand Dédale Room Directory has detailed information about the wine estate.  Both are on Twitter, and should support each other in that medium too.   The Doolhof wines dominate the Grand Dédale wine list.

Doolhof Wine Estate, Bovlei Road, Wellington.  Tel (021) 873- 6911. www.doolhof.com Monday – Saturday 10h00 – 17h00, Sunday 10h00 – 16h00

Dunstone Winery

Dunstone Boutique Winery opened in 2006, and 2,7 ha of the 4 ha is planted to vine.  The name of the winery was chosen by its owners Lee and Abbi Wallis, Dunstone being the place in the United Kingdom in which the couple got engaged.  A lot is made of the ‘stone’ part of the Dunstone name, in that the entrance wall is built from stone, there is a stone display as one walks from the tasting room to the garden, the vases with fly-deterrent branches have little stones in them, and the bill for The Stone Kitchen restaurant (separate review to come) comes with a large stone on the silver holder, to prevent it from flying away.   I felt that the wine estate is “schizophrenic”, in not knowing what character it wishes to have, judging by its entrance, building and interior.  The most beautiful stainless steel Weimaraner dog logo is erected on each of the walls at the entrance, in honour of the Wallis’ dog named Shiraz.  The stainless steel dogs lead one to expect a very high-tech winery, being so new and with its strong use of stainless steel, and also as the winery calls itself ’boutique’, but the wine tasting building is very ordinary, without a defined architectural style.   But what is even odder is the cottagey wood furniture in the tasting room, which also is the interior seating for the restaurant.  The restaurant tables and chairs look really old-fashioned, and a long table has benches with cushions on them in different colours and patterns – the material from these have been laminated, and are used as (small) place mats in the restaurant.  A lamp above the wine tasting counter has been made from a ‘wingerdstok’, and has fairy lights laced through it.  The big stainless steel vats are in the room too, as is a display fridge with chef Johan van Schalkwyk’s muffins to buy, and some of his jams and muesli mixes which he sells, as well as trays of desserts he was serving at a wedding that same evening, as he also runs a catering company called Twist.  The beautiful brochure for the winery creates even more confusion, in that it has a beautiful image of the Weimaraner logo on the stone wall, in silver, on the front cover, again giving the winery a very hi-tech image.  The Dunstone labels also have the Weimaraner logo on them, also in silver.   

Carina Stock is a friendly German wine hostess, and she will be increasingly involved in all aspects of the wine production.  She studied art and jewellery design, and spent many years at Uitkyk, in restoring wallpaintings.  She has worked at Boschendal and at DG Bellingham.  More than 11000 bottles are produced per year.   At Dunstone all vineyard work is done by hand, and tractors are not used.     Carina offered me four Dunstone wines to taste: 

Rosé 2010 (R45):   Crisp and dry, with strawberry, raspberries and plum.

Merlot 2007 (R65): Silver Medal won at Veritas Awards 2008 – full-bodied, ripe dark fruit, spices and oak, matured in French oak barrels for up to 14 months.  The Merlot 2008 (R65) is a lighter wine.

Shiraz 2009 (R120): First 5-star Platter rating for a Wellington wine, in 2010 edition, for the 2008 vintage, as well as Gold won at International Wine Challenge and Old Mutual Trophy Awards, and Double Gold at Michelangelo Awards.  2008 vintage sold out.  2009 vintage described by Jancis Robinson as “Dry, baked nose but sufficiently juicy fruit on the palate.”  The wine is matured in French, Hungarian and American oak for up to 14 months, is heavier, and “with a long finish”.     

Adi Badenhorst is the consultant winemaker.  Alli’s father Robert Frith is always on the farm during the harvest, Carina said.  He encouraged the Wallis couple to take out some of the guava trees, and plant grapes, being a garagiste in the UK.  Wine lovers are encouraged to come and help harvest the grapes and to participate in the winemaking process, even stomping the grapes, a personalised participation.  One must call to ensure that there is harvest or winemaking activity taking place on a given day.

Dunstone Winery, Bovlei Road, Wellington.  Tel (021) 873-6770. www.dunstone.co.za  Open Monday – Friday 10h00 – 17h00, Saturday 11h00 – 15h00. 

 Bovlei Cellar

As one drives out of Wellington, towards the Bain’s Kloof Pass, the Bovlei winery is on the right, a co-operative of 32 farmers producing 8000 tonnes per year.  Established in 1907, it is the oldest in Wellington (there are two others) and is the second oldest co-operative in South Africa, I was told by Tasting Room hostess Melissa van Wyk.   The wines sold at Bovlei are extremely good value, but range in Platter rating from 2 – 3,5 stars.

There are four ranges:

*   The winemakers selected specific grapes from specific members’ farms to make the Vineyard Selected Range, consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and a Shiraz/Mouvedré blend, all costing R50

*  the rest of the members’ grapes go into the making of their Lifestyle range, consisting of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Beaukett, Gewürztraminer and Special Late Harvest, all costing between R 22 – R25.  The reds are Pinotage, Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, at R30 a bottle.  Rosé costs R20, and a sparkling Brut R30.  The Shiraz won the Best Shiraz and Best Red in the 2010 “Quest for the Best” of Wellington competition. 

*   The Thomas Kipling range is available in Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Red, Dry White and Cabernet/Merlot blend, made exclusively for Pick ‘n Pay, Game and other liquor outlets, starting off at R19,99.

*   The Bovlei Centenary Selection is available in a Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, each costing R35, a 100th birthday celebratory range made in 2007.

Bovlei Cellar, Bain’s Kloof Road, Wellington. Tel (021) 873-1567.  www.bovlei.co.za  Monday – Friday 8h00 – 17h00, Saturday 8h30 – 12h30. 

Nabygelegen: 

I was extremely fortunate to get an appointment to meet James McKenzie, from the private wine estate that is highly rated by wine writer Neil Pendock, I was told.   A misunderstanding about my expected time of arrival was quickly forgiven by James, and he patiently sat with me, doing a detailed tasting of his Nabygelegen and Snow Mountain ranges. He told me that he bought the 35ha farm (19,5ha under vine) ten years ago, having been a banker in London and Zürich.  He was so determined to become a winemaker that he studied wine making by correspondence course, and first worked on wine farms in France, Spain, New Zealand and Chile, to learn from them.  The farm dates back to 1712, and one of his wines is named after this date.  He is hands-on, harvesting, marketing, receiving journalists, wine-making, organising the use of the cottage by guests, and the planned use of the old stables as a winetasting facility and restaurant.  Johan Wiese is a consultant viticulturist for Nabygelegen.  The pricelist states that his wines are “handcrafted wines”.  The brochure states the mission of Nabygelegen to be “To create of wines character and concentration reflecting vineyard specific terroir, using environmentally sound techniques, subscribe to ethical labour practices and enthusiastically pursue upliftment in the valley”.  It recommends a suitable food type to eat with each of the wines.  James makes the Nabygelegen range, utilising grapes from his own farm, which consists of the following:

*   Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R40) – very fruity, the best Sauvignon Blanc he has made to date, James said, and his 2010 vintage of 6000 bottles has just sold out

*   Lady Anna 2009 (R32) – a light and fruity chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc and semillion blend, named after the neighbouring farm owner Anna Lategan, who is respected for having freed her slaves a number of years ahead of the official abolition of slavery in 1815.  Her ghost is said to wander on Nabygelegen and De Compagne, the neighbouring farm!

*   Chenin Blanc 2009 (R45) – full-bodied chenin, which is barrel fermented

*   Scaramanga 2008 (R50) – the Spanish nickname for Tempranillo, and also the name of the “baddie” character in ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’ Bond movie. Tempranillo is one of the grape types from which this wine is made, with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.  It is made in the New World style, with focus on its flavour and smell. Only four wine estates grow Tempranillo in South Africa.  It is an upfront wine.

*   Merlot 2007 (R62) – sweet cherry and berry

*   Petit Verdot 2008 (R80) – intense fruit with layers of vanilla and chocolate

*   Seventeen Twelve 2006 (R90) – a classic Bordeaux Blend of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon,

The Snow Mountain range was launched last year, out of a need for a more pronounceable name for the English market, and it was named after Sneeukop, the highest mountain peak in Wellington.  The grapes are bought in from other Wellington farms, which are higher up, and therefore grow in a ‘continental climate’ and not a Mediterranean one, as do most other local wines, excellent for the production of the Pinot Noir in particular, he said.

*   Rosé 2009 (R30) – made in the French style, not sweet, served at Wimbledon

*   Pinot Noir 2009 (R90) – highly regarded, has been served at Kensington and Buckingham Palaces

One of James’ greatest enjoyments is the ‘number of beautiful places’ in which his wines are sold.  I asked him which these are, and his top three are the following: Librije’s in Zusje in Holland; Claridges in London; and The Green and Blue Wine Shop in London, owned by ex-South African Kate Thal.  We started tasting in the tasting room initially, tasting the whites and Rosé, then walked through the maturation cellar, which is used as a function venue, for which James’ friend Matthew Gordon from Franschhoek cooks, and tasted the Pinot Noir and reds in a most special tiny underground cellar, which has a glass window showing the soil depth and the rock formation.   I was lucky enough to be given a bottle of the Snow Mountain Shiraz 2009, which has not yet been released.

Nabygelegen, Bovlei Road, Wellington.  Tel (021) 873-7534.  www.nabygelegen.co.za  Monday – Friday 10h00 – 16h30, Saturday 9h00 – 12h30.

Klein Optenhorst

Jenny and Naas Ferriera have lived on Klein Optenhorst since 1987, on a farm that once was the home of my classmate Beverly Pywell and her family, and which I had visited for birthday parties.   A small 1 ha property has Pinot Noir grapes and the most beautiful garden, which the Ferreiras developed over time.   A gazebo with a whale weathervane has become the logo for the boutique wine estate, and caught my eye immediately.   Since 1994 the family produced Pinot Noir, but last year decided to make a Pinot Noir MCC sparkling wine instead, utilising the talents of Pieter Ferriera, whose wife Ann is the niece of Naas.   I was offered a glass of the beautiful bubbly by Ferreira daughter Jane Eedes, who is marketing the sparkling wine, a total of 1592 bottles of this maiden vintage having been produced. The inspiration for the label design by Eddy Haumann is the salvias from Jenny’s garden.  I was treated to a guided tour of the garden, and was most generously given a bottle of the Pinot Noir as well as the Pinot Noir MCC.  

Klein Optenhorst, Bovlei Road, Wellington.  Tel Jane Eedes 083 324 6855.

Diemersfontein

Located at the entrance to Wellington from the Paarl side, Diemersfontein has become a ‘residential estate’, is a wine farm, a spa, has a preparatory school, and has 30 rooms of accommodation.  I have not been to Diemersfontein for many years, and have not ever drunk their wines nor seen their wine tasting room.  I had booked a table for lunch, and had a vision of an old manor house with a big stoep, which was the original Diemersfontein homestead.  It is only used as accommodation and David Sonnenberg, the current owner, has an office there, I was told.  The Sonnenberg family (linked to Woolworths) has owned Diemersfontein since 1943, and originally apricots were the main fruit harvest.   Then export plums were farmed.      Wine has been made in the past ten years, and the property is described as a “Residential Wine Estate”.

 I was disappointed to find a modern building which houses both the restaurant Seasons (see review) and the Tasting Room.    The Tasting Room was not immediately visible, and we could not work out which door was unlocked, to allow us to enter.  It is small, compared to some of the others I visited in Wellington over the weekend, just containing a counter with bar chairs.   Aubern was friendly, and hunted down the last brochure for the wine estate.  Brett Rightford is the cellarmaster, and he is responsible for making all the Diemersfontein wines other than Pinotage, which is the responsibility of Francois Roode.

There are three ranges at Diemersfontein, for which 70 % of the grapes come from the estate, and the remainder are bought from other Wellington farms.  The Platter star rating of each wine is listed on the price list:

*   Carpe Diem is the flagship, and its wines are matured in French and American oak for 15 months as a minimum.  The Pinotage 2008 was awarded 4,5 stars by Platter, and is sold out.   Prices are on the high side, between R 89 (Chenin Blanc and Viognier) and R110 for Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Malbec.

*   The Diemersfontein range spends 6 months in oak, and is priced at R70, only the Pinotage being slightly more expensive.  There is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Summer’s Lease Shiraz-based blend and a Heaven’s Eye Bordeaux-style blend.  A red blend called “For the Birds!” sells at a low price of R45, and 10 % of sales goes to the “Save our Seabirds” Fund of Birdlife South Africa 

*   The Thokozani range was launched last year, and is an empowerment project, with staff, investors and the Sonnenbergs as shareholders, and Aubern is focused on his goal to become a shareholder too.  The Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay/Viognier blend costs R49, Rosé R 39, and the Shiraz/Mourvedré/Viognier blend costs R 69.

For its good reputation, duration of wine production, and stature of wine estate, I was disappointed with the lack of marketing collateral, photocopied price list, and the ‘ordinariness’ and small size of the tasting room. Diemersfontein came across as the most ‘commercialised’ of the Wellington wine estates I visited, yet was friendly too.

Diemersfontein Wines,  Jan van Riebeeck Drive, Wellington.   Tel (021) 864-5050. www.diemersfontein.co.za  Monday – Sunday 10h00 – 17h00.

A tear-off map of Wellington’s accommodation, wine estates, restaurants and shops was printed about three years ago, but does not appear to have been updated.  It is similar to the excellent Franschhoek Wine Valley map, providing not only a location perspective, but also the contact details and tasting times.   It appears to have been replaced with a recent brochure on Wellington.   An update of the tear-off map for the wine estates would be a good idea, to encourage winelovers to visit as many wine estates as they can.   A website of the Wellington Wine Route, or even a blog, may be a consideration too.

 Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com   Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Restaurant Review: Sofia’s at Morgenster set to become a star!

Sofia’s at Morgenster in Somerset West opened a month ago, and has been named after the star that Morgenster owner Guilio Bertrand admires most, being Sophia Loren.   When one enters the restaurant, photographs of the Italian actress welcome one.   Sofia’s adds cuisine class to Somerset West, a town that has not been blessed with good restaurants (The Restaurant at Waterkloof being an exception), but has some service problems to address.

We had to go to Somerset West, and made a last-minute decision to call for a table.  Manager Michelle did not hesitate in saying yes, despite a full restaurant as a result of a birthday celebration by guests, for which we were grateful.  We arrived a little later than planned, but were happy to be given a table just to ourselves outside under the trees.  

Sofia’s at Morgenster is run by chef Craig Cormack, a partner of Bertus Basson of Overture, on the Morgenster estate, probably better known for its olives and olive oils than it is for its wines.   One drives through the estate, seeing the olive orchards on the hill, past the winery and tasting room, to get to Sofia’s. The rustic thatch-roofed building has a grape trellis, offering the perfect shade for sitting outside on a hot summer’s day.  The building has a number of rooms, not making it feel as large as it is.

The Fortis Hotelware cutlery design is contemporary, and I was delighted that I was offered a fish knife for the kingklip, something I missed at Aubergine at our dinner a few days prior.  We did not receive serviettes, and had to ask for them.  The menu changes weekly, and the week number is specified on the menu.   The waitress looking after us was very willing to check when she did not know something, which was quite often.  She brought the menu, a thin strip on a dark plastic clipboard, and talked us through the menu, describing every item.  She got stuck with the difficult words, and tried her best to come up with definitions (e.g. ‘parmentier’ she described as ‘shredded’, when it means that it is potato-based).  She did admit that she was new to the hospitality industry, having worked in the cosmetics industry before.  Every starter she described to us with warts and all of how chef Craig and his team prepares it (I would have preferred to not have known so much detail), and described every dish as “very delicious”.  I felt sorry for her, as she was out of her depth in taking orders and in talking through the menu – some names she mentioned I asked her to spell.  She told me that they are just taught the words, without the spelling!   

Chef Craig sent an antipasto platter of olive-based treats to the table, to demonstrate the partnership with Morgenster.  I loved the tapenade, and the marinaded black olives, but did not eat the mini-pizza slices, as they were topped with anchovies, a personal dislike.

The menu is compact, with four options each per starter, main course and dessert.  A two-course meal costs R155 and 3-courses R220.  Despite the restricted choice, it was hard to choose what to order, it all sounded so “very delicious”.   I chose the chicken liver parfait as a starter, which was served with a peach chutney, as well as a light and fluffy brioche.   Other starter options are smoked snoek parmentier, Asian squid salad and onion tarte tartin.  The main course was ordered as a “parma ham wrapped over roasted fish” on the menu, but there was no parma ham when it was served.   It was served with a vanilla risotto, an unusual taste, and a truffle froth.  My partner’s beef stroganoff was tasty, but not exceptional.   Other main courses choices were pork fillet and braised lamb shoulder.  The dessert choice was a difficult one, all four sounding wonderful – chocolate royaltine and vanilla ice cream; watermelon soup; crème brule (sic); and the most interesting sounding beetroot ice cream, beetroot cheese and smoked and pickled beetroots.   A cute touch was a small Father Christmas gingerbread biscuit that came with the cappuccino served in an unusual glass cup with silver handle. 

We ordered the Graham Beck Brut Rosé by the glass (R45), only listed on the winelist per bottle (R130).   The Graham Beck Brut is charged at the same price, which is unusual, given that the Rosé bubbly usually is more expensive.    The white house wine is the Collaboration chenin blanc, a collaboration between chefs Craig and Bertus, as well as the Hidden Valley winemaker Louis Nel.   Wine vintages are specified, and the price spectrum fair.  White wines start at R30/R150 for Lands End Sauvignon Blanc and Kleine Zalze Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc (R150), up to R250 for Rustenburg Wooded Chardonnay and Radford Dale Viognier.  The red wine selection is restricted, at R30/R105 for Sofia’s 2002 vintage house wine made by Morgenster – R 300 for Catherine Marshall Pinot Noir 2009 and Annandale Shiraz 2003, to allow the presentation of Morgenster’s Bordeaux Blend wines.  The flagship Morgenster range is priced per vintage (R350 – R460), as is their Louren’s River Valley range (R160 – R185).  The Morgenster Tosca, Nabucco and Caruso wines are also available.   The Morgenster wines have a small mark-up of about R30 per bottle for the Lourens River valley wines, and of R60 for the Morgenster range.

I liked the peaceful country farm setting, the character renovated thatched roof building, the hand-picked ingredients where possible from the Morgenster gardens, and chef Craig’s creativity and weekly menu changes.  Staff training needs attention.  The hardest challenge for chef Craig is to use culinary terms which the staff can pronounce and explain correctly.    The starter arrived almost too quickly after placing the order, while the second course dishes took too long.   I will be back, to try more of chef Craig’s creativity.  Sofia’s is a star in the making, but the restaurant still needs time to settle in.

POSTSCRIPT 22/4: Returned to Sofia’s for a food and wine appreciation society. In a cosy room with fireplace.  Evening started with a tasting of Morgenster wines: Caruso Rosé, Tosca (60 % Sangiovese), Nabucco, Lourens River Valley, and the Platter 5-star Morgenster Bordeaux blend.  Two canapés were served: Ham hock terrine and pea spoom, and chicken liver parfait with brioche and green fig, both excellent.  The Calamari and coconut curry starter was accompanied by a 2010 Doolhof Sauvignon Blanc, with a very sharp chilli taste, and the least successful dish of the evening.   The main course of pork neck, prune and almanad jus was paired with the Sofia’s red blend.   Lovely dessert of chocolate truffle cake with raspberry compote and raspberry ice cream.

Chef Craig Cormack is an avid salt collector, and he sent around six of the 42 salts he has (there are 129 kinds of salt in total): Black Hawaiian Lava, Red Lava, Cervia, Bolivian Rose, Pakistani Volcanic, and Persian Blue Crystal.

Sofia’s at Morgenster, off Vergelegen entrance, Lourensford Road, Somerset West.  Tel (021) 847-1993.  http://www.facebook.com/Sofias.at.morgenster (No website, which is hopefully being worked on, to allow a professional profile of the restaurant, without the grammatical errors on the Facebook page, and photographs of the beautiful plating in an Image Gallery).  Open Mondays, Wednesdays – Sundays for lunch, and Wednesdays and Saturdays for dinner.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com   Twitter: @WhaleCottage